Broadcom 43xx wireless devices

This page describes how to install and configure WiFi devices based on Broadcom chipsets 4303, 4306, 4309, 4311, 4312, and 4318, and Dell Wireless Card 1390.

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Drivers

There are multiple drivers for those Broadcom chips :

Linux native drivers (Visit their [http://wireless.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#supported supported devices]) :

Using Windows' binary blobs :

Device Identification

The page ["HowToIdentifyADevice/PCI"] explains how to identify a PCI device. For example :

update-pciids
lspci -nn

You should see your Broadcom Device

0c:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4311 802.11b/g WLAN [14E4:4311] (rev 01)
or 
0c:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation Dell Wireless 1390 WLAN Mini-PCI Card (rev 01)

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Native b43 driver

On kernels 2.6.24 and newer, you should use the b43 driver, which is included as a module in Debian kernel images.

You must also install the firmware for this driver.

aptitude update
aptitude install b43-fwcutter

modprobe b43

ifconfig -a
iwconfig
ifconfig wlan0 up

If everything goes okay, you should see the wlan0 interface in the output of "ifconfig -a", wireless extensions for that interface in the output of "iwconfig", and no output at all from "ifconfig wlan0 up". If "ifconfig wlan0 up" gives you a message "SIOCSIFFLAGS: No such file or directory", then probably you don't have the proper firmware. Look [http://www.linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#devicefirmware here] for more information, and also consider filing a bug against the b43-firmware package.

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Native b43_legacy

?Anchor(bcm43xx)

Native bcm43xx driver

On kernels older than 2.6.24, you should use the bcm43xx driver, which is included as a module in Debian kernel images. The bcm43xx driver requires a firmware package which must be downloaded separately.

Installing the firmware (option 1)

aptitude update
aptitude install bcm43xx-fwcutter

*Now test if drivers work

modprobe bcm43xx

iwconfig

Installing the firmware (option 2)

If failed, Download this script which was taken from lenny package:

http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?msg=19;filename=install_bcm43xx_firmware.sh;att=1;bug=445133

rm /usr/share/bcm43xx-fwcutter/install_bcm43xx_firmware.sh
cp install_bcm43xx_firm
ware.sh /usr/share/bcm43xx-fwcutter/
chmod u+x /usr/share/bcm43xx-fwcutter/install_bcm43xx_firmware.sh

apt-get install bcm43xx-fwcutter

modprobe bcm43xx

iwconfig

Installing the firmware (option 3)

mkdir tmp
cd tmp
wget http://ftp.us.dell.com/network/R151517.EXE

unzip R151517.EXE

bcm43xx-fwcutter -w /lib/firmware bcmwl5.sys

modprobe bcm43xx

iwconfig

Installing the firmware (option 4)

bcm43xx-fwcutter -w /lib/firmware bcmwl5.sys

modprobe bcm43xx

iwconfig

Installing the firmware (option 5)

  1. [http://www.learnaboutlinux.net/files/wl_apsta.o wl_apsta.o from source 3] (treat wl_apsta.o just like bcmwl5.sys)

  2. Extract drivers

bcm43xx-fwcutter -w /lib/firmware wl_apsta.o

modprobe bcm43xx

iwconfig

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Ndiswrapper

Install ndiswrapper

aptitude install build-essential
aptitude install linux-headers-`uname -r` 

aptitude remove ndiswrapper-common
aptitude remove ndiswrapper-utils

mkdir tmp
cd tmp
wget http://superb-east.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/ndiswrapper/ndiswrapper-1.52.tar.gz
tar -xzvf ndiswrapper-1.52.tar.gz

Prevent conflict with bcm43xx

echo blacklist bcm43xx >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist

cd ndiswrapper-1.52
make
make install
make distclean

Install driver

wget http://ftp.us.dell.com/network/R151517.EXE

unzip -a R151517.EXE

ndiswrapper -i bcmwl5.inf

ndiswrapper -l

bcmwl5 : driver installed
        device (14E4:4311) present

ndiswrapper -m
modprobe ndiswrapper
echo ndiswrapper >> /etc/modules

Check the device

iwconfig

wlan0     IEEE 802.11g  ESSID:off/any
          Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.462 GHz  Access Point: Not-Associated
          Bit Rate:54 Mb/s   Tx-Power:32 dBm
          RTS thr:2347 B   Fragment thr:2346 B
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality:0  Signal level:0  Noise level:0
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

?Anchor(use)

Connect to network


CategoryWireless